Reflector strip



July 12, 1956 JAUSLIN 3,260,372

REFLECTOR STRIP Filed Aug. 17, 1964 INVENTOR ALFRED JAUSLIN UnitedStates Patent 3,260,372 REFLECTOR STRIP Alfred Jauslin, 310 E. 13thAve., Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Filed Aug. 17, 1964, Ser.'N0.389,911 Claims priority, application Canada, Sept. 4, 1963,

2 Claims. (Cl. 21113) My invention relates to reflector strips of thetype used on advertising or other signs.

A particularly eye-catching sign in fairly common use today is one onwhich the letters, figures etc. are made up of a myriad of small lightreflecting discs. These discs are mounted so that they have independentand limited free swinging movement on their supporting members and, whenthe discs are moved about by a breeze, the sign gives the illusion ofhaving mechanically moved and illuminated parts. Sign manufacturers arefaced with the problem of finding a convenient and economical means ofattaching the discs to the sign, the conventional fastening devicestaking a great deal of time to assemble and often detracting from theappearance of the sign or interfering with the movement of the discs.

The objects of this invention are to provide a reflector strip which issimple, easily constructed, and is entirely preformed so that it may becompletely assembled in strip form prior to attachment to the sign, toprovide such a strip which will readily lend itself to being attached tothe letters on the sign face and when so attached will allow the discsto move freely as required.

These objects will appear in the following specification and be shown inthe accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is fragmentary perspective view of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged vertical section.

FIGURE 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIGURE 4 is a plan view showing a disc being fitted to a hanger.

The present reflector strip is preferably formed of a suitable plasticwhich conveniently may be die cast or otherwise produced in uniformlengths. As shown best in FIG. 1, the strip has a thin flexible baseband which is substantially rectangular in cross section. Preferably therear face 11 of the band is provided with very shallow and closelyspaced grooves 12 which extend between the side edges 14 of said bandand at right angles thereto.

On the outer face 16 of the band a number of integral bottle-shapedhangers 17 are formed. The hangers are equidistantly spaced from oneanother and are disposed at right angles to the face of the base band10. Each hanger has a substantially cylindrical body portion 18 and aneck 20. The reduced neck 20 of the hanger may be cylindrical and theshoulder 21, defined between the body portion and the neck, ispreferably bevelled. An oval-shaped flange 23 is formed on the upper endof the neck 20 and it will be noted that this flange and all of the baseband and other hanger parts are formed in one operation so that nofurther processing of this support member is required during assembly ofthe reflector strip.

The hangers are adapted to support light reflecting discs 25 which arestamped out of very thin material, again plastic preferably, thematerial being highly glossed and having sufficient resilience towithstand some distortion. If desired the plastic material may bestriated to improve the light reflecting properties of the discs.Preferably the discs are subtantially octagonal and adjacent one edgesaid discs are provided with a circular opening 28. The diameter of thisopening is slightly less than the major diameter of the flanges 23, issubstantially equal to the minor diameter of said flange and isapproximately twice the diameter of the neck 20.

To attach a disc 25 to a hanger 17 the former is first supported at aslight angle to the latter as shown in FIG. 4. While in this position asmall end of the flange 23 is threaded through the opening 28 and thedisc is turned until a resistance is felt to further movement. A slightpressure is then applied to the disc in the region of the opening so asto distort the opening somewhat and allow the disc to pass over theflange and be supported entirely on the neck 20 of the hanger. In thisposition the disc is free to slide back and forth between the shoulder21 and the flange 23 and may also rotate through 360. Since the size ofthe opening 28 is considerably greater than the size of the neck 20 thedisc is also free to rock or turn to a limited extent about its thenvertically disposed axis.

The above described reflector strip is attached to the letters etc. ofan advertising sign which may be painted on the surface of a panel 30,for example. Glue may be employed to fasten the strips to the face ofthe panel with the roughened or grooved face 11 of the base bandensuring that proper adhesion takes place. Alternatively staples may bedriven into the panel 30 so as to straddle the base band 10 at suitableintervals along the length of the reflector strip.

The strip is attached ot the sign to give emphasis to the signs lettersand/or figures and this attachment is done without further shaping orthe like being done to the hanger as is necessary with conventionalreflector strips. If it becomes necessary to remove and replace thediscs 25 this may be done also without the use of special tools oraltering the shape of the hangers in any way.

What I claim is:

1. A reflector strip comprising a thin flat flexible base member, aplurality of integrally formed hangers equi-distantly spaced along aface of the base member, said hangers each having a body portion, acylindrical neck and a preformed oval shaped flange at the extreme endof said neck, said flange being disposed in a plane normal to thelongitudinal axis of the hanger, and a plurality of flexible lightreflecting discs adapted to be supported by the hangers, said discs eachhaving an opening through which the neck of a supporting hanger extends,said disc opening being circular with a diameter less than the majordiameter of the oval-shaped flanges whereby the disc material ismomentarily distorted as the flange is passed through the openings tofreely support the disc on the cylindrical neck.

2. A reflector strip as claimed in claim 1, wherein the diameter of thedisc opening is substantially equal to the minor diameter of theoval-shaped flanges.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,744,624 5/1956Hoogstoel 20665 2,765,998 10/1956 Engert 248205 2,896,352 7/1959 Marlo161-25 2,969,606 1/1961 Battaglia 40-l38 3,043,039 7/ 1962 Battaglia40138 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,176,704 11/1958 France.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Examiner.

W. D. LOULAN, Assistant Examiner.

1. A REFLECTOR STRIP COMPRISING A THIN FLEXIBLE BASE MEMBER, A PLURALITYOF INTEGRALLY FORMED HANGERS EQUI-DISTANTLY SPACED ALONG A FACE OF THEBASE MEMBERS, SAID HANGERS EACH HAVING A BODY PORTION, A CYLINDRICALNECK AND A PREFORMED OVAL SHAPED FLANGE AT THE EXTREME END OF SAID NECK,SAID FLANGE BEING DISPOSED IN A PLANE NORMAL TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OFTHE HANGER, AND A PLURALITY FLEXIBLE LIGHT REFLECTING DISCS ADAPTED TOBE SUPPORTED BY THE HANGERS, SAID DISCS EACH HAVING AN OPENING THROUGHWHICH THE NECK OF A SUPPORTING HANGER EXTENDS, SAID DISC OPENING BEINGCIRCULAR WITH A DIAMETER LESS THAN THE MAJOR DIAMETER OF THE OVAL-SHAPEDFLANGES WHEREBY THE DISC MATERIAL IS MOMENTARILY DISTORTED AS THE FLANGEIS PASSES THROUGH THE OPENINGS TO FREELY SUPPORTED THE DISC ON THECYLINDRICAL NECK.